Let's Pretend (TV series)

Let's Pretend was a 1980s children's television series aimed at preschool aged children in the United Kingdom.

It was shown across the ITV network at 12:10 on Tuesdays, then later on Mondays, replacing the popular Pipkins which had been cancelled at the end of 1981.

Like its predecessor, each edition was fifteen minutes long, and the programme was produced using many of the same personnel, such as the puppeteer Nigel Plaskitt and the producer Michael Jeans.

Each week the presenters would find a number of ordinary household items and contrive to produce a short story featuring them all. The first programme, "The Story Of The Broken Puppet", was shown on Tuesday 5 January 1982 by Central Television. The show was broadcast weekly until 1988.

The show's original opening titles showed items moving along a conveyor belt into the mouth of a large plastic whale, and later a puppet caterpillar moving along the screen. The actual story began with the rising of a curtain with the same puppet caterpillar on accompanied to the same bars of the song On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at that were used as the pre-programme ident of Yorkshire Television.

Transmission guide

Series 1 (1982)

1. The Story of the Broken Puppet – 5 January 1982
2. The Story of the Leaping Frog – 12 January 1982
3. The Story of the Dancing Elephant – 19 January 1982
4. The Hungry Pillar Box – 26 January 1982
5. The Garden Bench – 2 February 1982
6. The Shoe That Wanted to Go Its Own Way – 9 February 1982
7. The Whistling Kettle – 16 February 1982
8. The Teapot That Lost Its Lid – 23 February 1982
9. The Zoo Keeper and the Giraffe – 2 March 1982
10. The Story of the Cleaner and the Cook – 9 March 1982
11. The Story of the Rabbit and the Mole – 16 March 1982
12. The Tale of Two Bears – 23 March 1982
13. The Story of How the Bus Got up the Hill – 30 March 1982
14. The Story of the Sleepless Owl – 6 April 1982
15. The Story of the King Who Loved Bananas – 13 April 1982
16. The Umbrella That Didn't Like Rain – 20 April 1982
17. The Cheesemaker and the Mouse – 27 April 1982
18. The Story of the Giant's Boots – 4 May 1982

Series 2 (1982-1983)

1. The King Who Liked Music – 24 August 1982
2. The Snowman – 31 August 1982
3. The Jack Who Wouldn't Come Out of His Box – 7 September 1982
4. The Cat That Liked Mice – 14 September 1982
5. The Sailors Who Lost Their Sail – 21 September 1982
6. The Piggy Bank – 28 September 1982
7. The Goldfish Who Swam Away from His Bowl – 5 October 1982
8. The Clock That Forgot to Tock – 12 October 1982
9. The Hole – 19 October 1982
10. The Soldier and the Crown – 26 October 1982
11. The Greedy Crocodile – 9 November 1982
12. The Boat That Had No Paddle – 16 November 1982
13. The Witch and the Sweeper – 23 November 1982
14. The Old Man and the Duck – 30 November 1982
15. The Fork-Lift Truck – 7 December 1982
16. The Man Who Wanted His Milk – 14 December 1982
17. The Cow That Wanted to Jump Over the Moon – 21 December 1982
18. Worn Out Teddy – 28 December 1982
19. The Smallest Circus in the World – 10 January 1983
20. The Little Cloud That Cried – 17 January 1983
21. The Stripy Deckchair – 24 January 1983
22. Baby Hedgehog's Discovery – 31 January 1983
23. The Two Parrots – 7 February 1983
24. The Balloon That Lost Its Puff – 14 February 1983
25. Colin the Court Jester – 21 February 1983
26. The Caterpillar and the Butterfly – 28 February 1983
27. The Sad Banana – 7 March 1983
28. Henrietta's Tea Party – 14 March 1983
29. The Band Got Smaller and Smaller – 21 March 1983
30. The Rag Doll and the King – 28 March 1983
31. The Scarecrow That Wanted to Look Smart – 11 April 1983
32. The Hopping Kangaroo – 18 April 1983
33. Tom Thumb and the Race – 25 April 1983
34. The Dancing Dragon – 9 May 1983

Series 3 (1983-1984)

1. The Hippo, the Peacock and the Giraffe – 26 September 1983
2. The Travelling Musician and the Missing Notes – 3 October 1983
3. The Cat Who Wanted to Be a Lion – 10 October 1983
4. The Oil Can – 17 October 1983
5. The Roundabout Ostrich – 24 October 1983
6. The Witch and Lazy Jack – 31 October 1983
7. The Camel Who Got the Hump – 7 November 1983
8. The Queen and the Tailor – 14 November 1983
9. The Penguin and the Pig – 21 November 1983
10. The Wind Finds Some Friends – 28 November 1983
11. The Cock Who Crowed Too Much – 5 December 1983
12. Granny in Space – 12 December 1983
13. The Reindeer and the Rhinoceros – 19 December 1983
14. The Naughty Reflection – 9 January 1984
15. The Octopus Came Out of the Sea – 16 January 1984
16. The Neglected Piano – 23 January 1984
17. The Moving Bus Stop – 30 January 1984
18. The Dirty Clean... Dirty Clean Sweep – 6 February 1984
19. The Unneighbourly Neighbour – 13 February 1984
20. The Sandwich Which Had a Quarrel – 20 February 1984
21. The Messy Man – 27 February 1984
22. The Adventures of a Jelly – 5 March 1984
23. Bath Toys – 11 March 1984
24. The Day Fred Lost His Glasses – 19 March 1984
25. The Road Roller – 26 March 1984
26. The Runaway Shoe – 2 April 1984
27. The Invisible Friend – 9 April 1984
28. The King Who Loved Sausages – 16 April 1984
29. The Bee and the Bear – 30 April 1984
30. The Television Set – 14 May 1984
31. The Empty Eggcup – 21 May 1984
32. The Sun Who Forgot to Set – 4 June 1984
33. The Lion and the Leopard – 11 June 1984
34. The Seaside Special – 18 June 1984
35. What Father Christmas Does in the Summer – 25 June 1984

Series 4 (1984-1985)

1. The Cuckoo Who Wanted to Sing Like the Sparrow – 15 October 1984
2. Mr Woof the Guard Dog – 22 October 1984
3. The Milk Float and the Racing Car – 29 October 1984
4. Tortoise and Hare Make Friends – 5 November 1984
5. The Garden Wall – 12 November 1984
6. The Ghost Makes a Friend – 19 November 1984
7. The Giants Who Came Down from the Beanstalk – 26 November 1984
8. The Broom and the Vacuum Cleaner – 3 December 1984
9. The Dragon Who Couldn't Help Breathing Fire – 10 December 1984
10. The Soldier With Two Left Feet – 17 December 1984
11. Dancing Daisy – 7 January 1985
12. Little Red Riding Hood and the Pirate – 14 January 1985
13. The Story of the Dirty Shirt – 21 January 1985
14. The Fed Up Telephone – 28 January 1985
15. The Friendly Tree – 4 February 1985
16. The Man Who Was Always Late – 11 February 1985
17. The Dancing Crab – 18 February 1985
18. The Piano Movers – 25 February 1985
19. The Mouse on the Moon – 4 March 1985
20. Muddled Michael – 11 March 1985
21. The Twin Sisters – 18 March 1985
22. The Chicken and the Duck – 25 March 1985
23. Cinderfella – 1 April 1985
24. Old MacDonald's Farm – 15 April 1985
25. The Elephant and the Weighing Machine – 22 April 1985
26. The Disappearing Milk – 29 April 1985
27. The Crane Who Couldn't Lift – 13 May 1985
28. Helpful Harry – 20 May 1985
29. The Train Spotter and the Train – 3 June 1985
30. The Man Who Likes Surprises – 10 June 1985
31. The Shopkeeper Who Didn't Want to Sell His Pets – 17 June 1985

Series 5 (1985-1986)

1. The Cactus Who Wanted His Back Scratched – 14 October 1985
2. Colonel Bigshot and the Crocodiles – 21 October 1985
3. The Town That Liked to Argue – 28 October 1985
4. The Wishing Well – 4 November 1985
5. The Lemon Canary – 11 November 1985
6. The Sheepdog and the Badger – 18 November 1985
7. The Duck Who Wanted a Treat to Eat – 25 November 1985
8. The Gardener and the Pirate – 2 December 1985
9. The Hiccupping Lion – 9 December 1985
10. The Lady Who Collected Junk – 16 December 1985
11. The Postman Who Wanted Some Post – 23 December 1985
12. The Doctor's Big Day – 30 December 1985
13. The Grass Is Always Greener – 6 January 1986
14. The Chimp Who Copied Everything – 13 January 1986
15. The Double Bass Who Lost a String – 20 January 1986
16. The Pretend Snowman – 27 January 1986
17. The Two Sisters – 3 February 1986
18. The Brother's Clothes – 10 February 1986
19. The Rabbit and the Carrot – 17 February 1986
20. Silly Dressmaker – 24 February 1986
21. The Bulldozer with Toothache – 3 March 1986
22. The Wolf Who Cried Wolf – 10 March 1986
23. How Greedy Can You Be? – 17 March 1986
24. The Singer Who Lost His Voice – 24 March 1986
25. The Pumpkin and the Pumpkin Guard – 7 April 1986
26. The Instrument Mender and the Noisemaker – 14 April 1986
27. The Jelly Baby Jumble Sale – 21 April 1986
28. The Train Who Was Frightened of the Dark – 28 April 1986
29. Don't Wake the Baby – 12 May 1986
30. The Playdough Statue – 19 May 1986
31. Outside In, Inside Out – 2 June 1986
32. The One-Puppet Puppet Show – 9 June 1986